


send my regards to hell

by chaosplxnet



Series: Blame [2]
Category: Bastille (Band), WWCOMMS - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mind Control, i guess?, lowkey dyle i swear i'll amp it up later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-05-06 09:50:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14639330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosplxnet/pseuds/chaosplxnet
Summary: it's Dan and Kyle against the most powerful media company in all the world.no pressure.





	1. this is the winter of our youth

**Author's Note:**

> hey, welcome back!! sorry this took so long to get up, i've been crazy busy with school. now that i'm done for the semester, though, i think i'll have more time/motivation to work on this as i work full time! i'm still hoping to get up regular updates though.
> 
> thanks again for all of the kudos and comments, they make my week!! xxx

_“Again, we ask that if you have any information on these insurgents, you call our hotline at…”_

   Dan hurried past the line of TVs blasting _Wild World News at Noon_ , hoping that his hat and hood blocked enough of his face that no one would connect him to the photo of him on the screen. He was used to this by now, and the shock of seeing himself next to the word “insurgent” had worn off, leaving only a slight prick of annoyance behind. They showed the images of all the publicly known rebels at the end of every news segment, five times a day since Dan and Kyle’s escape.  They could have at least used a better picture for the newscast, as the one they had used was taken the day Dan had joined Wild World, and he looked woefully young and naïve.

   Plus, his hair looked fucking ridiculous.

   He shook his head, wanting to rid himself of the cobwebs of insecurity that still clung to his brain. Dan was rushing out to grab food, one of the few times he willingly left the safety of where he called home, and he didn’t want to be distracted by anxious thoughts any more than he already was. He hurried along the sidewalk, making sure to keep his head down and eyes on the ground. Of course, no one around this neighborhood would notice him; the budget hotel they were staying at was near Peckham, out of the way of tourists and most Wild World watchdogs. Still, nothing could quell his anxieties which continued to plague him until he was unlocking the door to his rented room.

   “I’m back,” he called softly as he slowly opened the door, not wanting to spook the figure on the bed. No such luck, because as soon as Dan spoke, the figure jumped and spun around, still tensing when he saw Dan.

   “Kyle, it’s me. I come with food,” he said while motioning to the stuffed bag in his hand.

   Kyle relaxed his stance and nodded, as though convincing himself of Dan’s words. “Right, right…sorry,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

   “No worries,” Dan said, hoping that the tired edge of his voice went unnoticed. It’s not that he didn’t understand why Kyle was still on edge all the time; at this point, it was Dan’s new normal. He just exhausted from constantly having to be worried about everything all the damn time. Not only did he have to worry about his own well-being, he had to worry about Kyle and his recovery and what they were going to do next and…

   Again, Dan tried to shake off the negative thoughts and moved about the small room as he put the groceries away while keeping out the things they would need for a late lunch. It wasn’t much, but Dan was able to assemble two sandwiches with crisps.           

   “Voilà,” said Dan as he presented a plate to Kyle, who had gone back to sitting on his bed. The man gratefully accepted the plate and mumbled a thank you, and Dan took that as a good sign. Sometimes Kyle wouldn’t say anything, and that was always indicative of bad days. They ate in silence, Dan trying to avoid looking at the TV and at Kyle and ending up just zoning out looking at the ground.

   He tried not to think about the past few weeks, but there was nothing else he could distract himself with. After they had escaped from the clutches of WWCOMMS, Dan had left Kyle in their hiding spot while he cleaned himself in a nearby convenience shop and bought a change of clothes for both of them, since his clothes were bloody, and Kyle’s jumpsuit was...well, it stood out just a tad.

   Then, they had to find somewhere to stay since they couldn’t live on the streets and going back to their homes was a bad idea, since WWCOMMs knew where they lived and would probably be staking them out, waiting for them to return. Instead, they had gone into one of London’s less-touristy boroughs and, after Dan had all the money out of both of their bank accounts, had managed to secure a room for a few weeks so they could think of a plan.

   As much as Dan still wanted to bring down Wild World, there were a metric fuck-ton of roadblocks they had to get through. First and foremost, Kyle’s recovery. As one would expect after being tortured and forced to do the bidding of Wild World, Kyle was still jumpy and anxious, and he never seemed to fully trust Dan. The first few days after their escape, Kyle would try to make a break back to WWCOMMs by attempting to sneak out of the room or catch Dan off guard. Each time Dan had to hold him back until the urges subsided. It wasn’t easy; at first Kyle would try to hit Dan to get him to let go, but eventually it subsided into desperate pleads that were heartbreaking to hear. Kyle would whimper and beg for Dan to let him leave, because otherwise he was betraying Wild World and he would get punished for it or whatever rubbish they had threatened Kyle with while he was there. It fucking killed Dan to see Kyle go through this, to know that it was ultimately Dan’s own fault. If he had just tried harder, he could’ve saved Kyle from this fate.

_No_ , he thought angrily. He did all he could, and he was doing all he could now to stop this from continuing. All he could do right now was try and build the trust back up between them, but he feared that nothing would be the same again, just like Kyle’s eyes. They were still almost all white, although there was a more pronounced amber glimmer in them.

   Not that Dan ever looked into Kyle’s eyes in any other way than to make sure he was getting better, of course.

   For Dan, he was still physically recovering from his stint as a prisoner of Wild World. He seemed to have a permanently almost-crooked nose now, but the rest of the bruising and swelling had tapered off in the past fortnight of their refuge. He was now able to walk around in public without drawing too much attention, although he still wore a hoodie pulled up and a hat pulled low over his face.

   Mentally, though? That was harder to know. Some days he felt fine, and he could power through his daily routine and not feel too bad. Other days, he could hardly bear to look at himself in the mirror, convinced that the man that stared back was a stranger. Those were the worse days, the ones where Dan could hardly manage to get out of bed, and even when he did, all he could muster the strength to do was take care of himself and Kyle.

   Dan’s constant anxiety was fucking frustrating because it hindered his ability to try and think about how to bring down WWCOMMs. After two failed attempts, Dan was hesitant to ever try again, but at this point, what did he have to lose? Both him and Kyle had gone through too much, seen too much, to be a passive bystander. If he let WWCOMMs continue to run without at least trying to stop it, he feared the guilt would kill him before Will could.

   Right now, all he could hope to do was take care of Kyle and get him back to his normal self. Not an easy task, since Dan didn’t know how he got back to normal himself. All he knew was that it took time, and that’s something they didn’t have a lot of.

   “…Dan?” Kyle asked quietly. Dan looked up to see the younger man standing in front of him holding his hand out. “I can do the dishes if you want.”

   “Uh, yeah, thanks mate,” Dan said with a small smile. Kyle was getting better, bit by miniscule bit. Moments like this made everything Dan had gone through worth it. If he could just save one person from the clutches of Wild World, all of the pain and suffering would at least have a purpose, and that’s all Dan needed to keep going.

***

   Needless to say, Wild World Communications was on high alert following the altercation with Smith and Simmons. Not only did Will have to clean himself up, he had to make sure that the journalists who had saw them escape underwent training of their own, so they wouldn’t blab about it and make this chaos even harder to amend. Plus, they had to hire extra security to take over the missing spots, and now they had to worry about two insurgents being on the loose. It was a mess, one that Will was more than ready to clean up and get on with his life.

   But he tried not to worry all that much. He knew that, soon, they would put an end to this whole thing, once and for all.

   As Will left the office after another long day, he couldn’t help but feel encouraged by the number of white jumpsuits that were patrolling the area. Eventually, they would be able to right the wrongs and everything would go according to plan.

   Smith and Simmons wouldn’t know what hit them.


	2. we pick ourselves undone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dan and kyle have trouble trusting each other while searching for allies.

   Dan and Kyle’s uneasy alliance took a turn for the worse that night, when Dan woke up to the sound of floorboards creaking and the door opening. Before he could fully understand what was happening, Dan had tumbled out of bed and grabbed one of Kyle’s arms, then yanked him back into the room as he slammed the door shut.

   “What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?” Dan snapped.

   Kyle shook his head and almost seemed to tremble as he stuttered, “I-I need to g-go back and tell th-them what happened-d and-”

   “No, you don’t,” Dan said sharply, “because if you go back, they’ll kill you.”

   “No! N-no, they won’t!” Kyle cried, a desperate edge creeping into his voice. “I need t-to get back there! I need to h-help them-”

   “Help them what?” Dan asked.

   Kyle seemed to be at a loss for words as he stared at Dan, his mouth open but no sound coming out. Finally, after a long pause, he whispered, “I dunno.” After saying that, Kyle seemed to crumple in on himself, and Dan barely managed to catch him before he hit the floor.

   “Hey, you’ll be okay,” Dan murmured as he wrapped his arms around Kyle.

   “Promise?” Kyle asked as his voice broke.

   Fuck. It was going to be one of those nights. “I promise,” Dan said. They sat there on the ground like that for a few moments as they composed themselves, piecing their broken bits back together like a puzzle.

   “Let’s get up, yeah?” Dan murmured, and he gently stood up with Kyle still in his arms. For a moment they stood together, Dan looking intently at Kyle as the other man stared at the ground. “You know why you can’t go back, right?”

   It took another minute before Kyle responded with a quiet, “Yes.”

   “Good. You need sleep,” Dan said as he steered Kyle towards his bed.

   Eventually, once Kyle had laid down, his breathing became deeper and more rhythmic, indicating that he had finally fallen asleep. Meanwhile, Dan lay awake as sleep eluded him. He never managed more than a few moments of unconsciousness before a creak or gust of wind would jerk him awake. His body was exhausted, his eyes burned from keeping them open, but Dan couldn’t do much except lay there as he overthought himself to death.

   As the morning rays of sun crept their way into the room, Dan finally nodded off, only to be woken up by his alarm what felt like seconds later. He sat up abruptly in bed in time to see Kyle slip out the door.

   “Fuck,” Dan cursed as he jumped out of bed, glad that he had passed out in his regular clothes and not pajamas. He ran after Kyle and caught up with him, then dragged him back into the room and swung the door shut with a bang.

   “What the _fuck_ are you doing?” Dan asked as soon as the door shut, so as to not make as big of a scene. He couldn’t help but feel like this was déjà vu from last night, like maybe they were stuck repeating the same damn thing over and over again.

   Kyle frowned at Dan and shook off the man’s grip. “I was going to grab a fucking coffee, mate. Can’t you let me leave this room without a chaperone?”

   “Sorry I don’t trust the person who almost turned me in last night,” Dan said.

   Kyle’s face went cold, and his icy glare made Dan regret his words. “You don’t realize what they did to me, do you?”

   “Of course I understand, you twat! I’ve gone through it too!” Dan said, his anger starting to get the best of him. All of the sleepless nights and the anxiety-ridden days began to weigh on him more than ever, and Dan found it impossible to stop himself. “I tried to save you from this, and you complain about not being able to get a fucking coffee? Sorry, but I’m finding it hard to forget that you held a gun up to me and almost took my head off a few weeks ago.”

   “You know I couldn’t help it,” Kyle said darkly. “You know that they _made_ me.”

   “Yeah, well, no one made me risk my life to save you,” Dan retorted, “so maybe you should be a little more grateful.”

   A cold silence hung in the air as the men regarded each other as if with new eyes. They both knew they were walking on thin ice, almost daring the other to leave. But that couldn’t happen. If Dan left, Kyle would be left without the means to survive. If Kyle left, he could turn Dan in and get him killed, or worse.

   Kyle finally broke the silence. “I’m sorry, alright? I’m sorry for not telling you, you were just asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you up and...”

   “It’s okay,” Dan replied quietly. “I’m sorry too. For assuming the worst.”

   “Can’t blame you,” Kyle muttered.

   With a shrug, Dan said, “Maybe you can, a little bit. I’m sorry that I…I know what they did to you. I just want to help.”

   “Thank you,” Kyle said, which took Dan by surprise.

   “Why thank me?” he asked.

   Kyle stared at the ground as he said, “For helping me. For getting me out, no questions asked. For all of this.”

   “You don’t have to thank me-”

   “Yes, I do,” Kyle interjected, “I haven’t thanked you for risking your arse to save me, and I should.”

   “Well, you’re welcome,” Dan said as he awkwardly shifted on his feet.

   A beat passed, then Kyle said, “Maybe we should try and figure out what our next step is, then. I mean, we could just…leave.”

   “Yeah, right, like we’d ever get out of London unscathed,” Dan said with a snort.

   “Or…we could try and find someone to help us. There _has_ to be other people out there that don’t like what Wild World is doing,” Kyle pointed out.

   “Maybe, or maybe they’ve all ended up like Woody.”

   At that name, both men fell silent. Dan hadn’t had time to register the betrayal correctly, not that he had wanted to. Even though he only knew Woody for a short while, he thought he had built some sort of trust with him. He thought that, together, they could at least save Kyle and work out a solution to stop Wild World. Now all that was left of the rebellion, if one could even call it that, was two blokes who didn’t have any idea what they were doing.

   “Not to be rude, but you’re quite the pessimist, Dan,” Kyle said quietly.

   “That’s my middle name,” Dan quipped back. “Maybe there are other people out there. The thing is, how do we reach them?”

   Kyle shrugged and said, “I dunno if staying in here all day is helping.”

   “Are you just trying to get out of here?” Dan asked. “Is this not the most scenic place in all of London?” He motioned around to the two rickety beds, the worn-down furniture, and the lights that occasionally flickered.

   Kyle laughed, a real actual laugh, and said, “Maybe. This is almost as bad as that fucking basement. I’d take all that white over this mess.”  
            “Be careful what you wish for,” Dan said, keeping his voice light. “Alright, fine, let’s go and try to find out what people think about Wild World.”

   “Could I make a suggestion?” Kyle asked with a mischievous glint in his still oddly-colored eyes.

***

   Kyle ended up suggesting, then forcefully picking, a grimy bar down the street from their hideout. The place was run-down and dirty, with a cracked window and a flickering open sign on one of the windows. Still, it was decently packed with people which helped put Dan and Kyle at ease, at least a little. They still had to disguise themselves in case anyone recognized them from the news, though. Dan wore a beanie pulled over his hair and an oversized sweater, while Kyle wore a baseball cap and sunglasses. Before they had left, Kyle had complained that he’d look like a twat with sunglasses on indoors when it was dark outside, but as Dan had pointed out, he would rather look like a twat than get questions about his eyes.

   It managed to shut Kyle up, at least for the time being.

   Dan and Kyle sat at the bar, off to the side so as not to be too in the way of the increasingly drunk patrons. A few TVs sat behind the bar, blaring the same newscast that Dan had always tried to ignore. In the time after he had taken the job, it became almost mandatory for public buildings to broadcast the news. He idly read the subtitles as they flashed up on screen, since it was too raucous in the bar to focus on the audio and was jolted from his stupor by an unfamiliar voice.

   “It’s all shite, innit?” one of the men behind the counter said as he wiped down near where Dan and Kyle sat.

   “Sorry?” Dan asked, more taken aback by the words of the man than the fact he was talking to them.

   “All this Wild World shite. It’s annoying,” the man continued, “and I’m getting tired of it.”

   “Erm, yeah,” Dan replied with an awkward nod towards the man.

   The bartender gave Dan a look, then asked, “Have I seen you around before?”  
            Fuck.

   “I don’t think so, we’re just…stopping by,” Dan said as he pointed towards Kyle. “Just wanted to stop out and get a pint tonight.”

   “Most people don’t come out this way.”

   “We’re not like most people,” Kyle interjected, shifting uneasily next to Dan.

   “I can tell. You both look like you’re hiding something,” the bartender said with a laugh, and Dan and Kyle both gave equally as forced smiles.

   “Only a hangover,” Dan said with what he hoped was a convincing laugh.

   Luckily, the bartender was swept up in a wave of orders at that moment, which gave Dan and Kyle a moment to breathe. After shared glances, they both knew they should leave, so both men quickly made their way to the exit when the crowding had died down. Just as they walked out the door, the bell jingled again behind them and a voice called out.

   “You forgot something,” the bartender yelled.

   Both Dan and Kyle stopped dead in their tracks at the sound of his voice as footsteps ran up to them, and when Dan turned around the bartender was closer, holding Dan’s wallet in his hands.

   “Don’t wanna leave this laying around,” he said as he held it out, “or someone may be inclined to look in it.”

   Dan felt his heart stop in his chest. If the bartender had looked in the wallet, he might’ve seen Dan’s ID, which means he saw Dan’s name that was plastered all around the fucking country…

   “Why don’t you mates come back to the bar tomorrow afternoon, around 2? I feel like we have a lot to talk about.” With a wink, the bartender tossed the wallet at Dan who just barely caught it, then stepped back to the bar, letting the door slam behind him.

   “Bloody hell,” Kyle sighed. “Will we ever catch a break?”


	3. we were lying in the middle of the road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dan and kyle make an ally. at least, they think they do?

   Once Dan and Kyle arrived back at their room, Kyle immediately began packing his bags.

   “What’re you doing?” Dan asked.

   “Getting the fuck out of here,” Kyle said, frowning at Dan. “Don’t you realize what happened? We were spotted. We’re fucked.”

   Dan shook his head. “What do you mean?”

   “Goddamn it,” Kyle muttered, then threw the things he had in his hands on the bed. “I mean, he knows who you are, and it won’t take long for him to find out who I am. He’s gonna turn us in, and then…” He stopped, as if he couldn’t fathom what would happen next.

   “But what if he doesn’t?”

   “What?”

   “What if he doesn’t turn us in?” Dan asked as he paced around the room. “What if he wants to just…talk to us? He mentioned earlier that he was sick of all the broadcasts, called it all shite. What if he wants to help us?”

   Kyle shrugged. “That’s a huge risk. Remember the last time you-”

   “Yes, I do,” Dan snapped, cutting Kyle off before he could finish. “Look, you’re the one that wanted to go for outside help in the first place. This is the best opportunity we’ve gotten in weeks. It may be the only one we get.”

   Kyle had turned to face Dan, watching him closely as he tread a path in the worn-down carpet. His face was impassive, his eyes hiding everything as usual, but there was something there that hadn’t been there before. A spark of color.

   “And what if this is all bullshit? What if he’s just faking it?” Kyle asked quietly.

   Now it was Dan’s turn to shrug. “At least we tried, yeah?”

   “Trying can’t be enough now. We have to do something to save ourselves,” Kyle insisted.

   “And this is something we can do to save ourselves and everyone else,” Dan said with finality. “Look, I understand if you don’t want to go. But I am. I need to.”

   Kyle sighed. “You’re going to be the end of me, Smith.”

***

   The next morning, Dan awoke with a pit in dread in his stomach, and it only got worse as the day drew on. He and Kyle tried to remain normal, moving about the cramped room as much as they could, packing things up in case they had to make a quick escape. Now that Dan had to leave all his belongings behind, he didn’t own much, only a few changes of clothes and the requisite toiletries. There was one other thing he had: a leather-bound notebook he carried with him everywhere that had hastily scribbled down lyrics and half-baked thoughts in them. He carried it around with him everywhere, ever since Kate had gotten him out of that state he used to be in. It seemed to help to write things down, to make them solid and real enough to withstand the currents trying to drag him down.

   As the time drew close to 2pm, Kyle gave Dan a terse nod and the two men stepped out of the room, locking the door behind them as they headed down the cracked sidewalk towards the bar. Neither of them wanted to think about the very real possibilities of what would happen that day, but both found it impossible to focus on anything but.

   Once they stood outside the bar, Dan said, “It looks closed. Maybe he was just-”

   “Glad you could make it!” a cheery voice cried out behind the two men, and Dan nearly jumped a foot in the air as he and Kyle turned around to see the bartender from last night heading towards them.

   Kyle stumbled back and hit the brick wall of the bar, putting a hand up to his chest.

   “Sorry for scarin’ you,” the man said, unbothered by the stunned silence as he unlocked the bar and ushered them inside. “You two are quite the jumpy type.”

   Dan shrugged, not knowing what to say.

   “I guess you have good reason to be,” the bartender continued as he walked behind the bar and grabbed three glasses and a bottle of amber liquor. “So, take a seat.”

   Kyle looked at Dan, and Dan looked at Kyle. Neither knew what to do.

   “For god’s sake, if I wanted to turn you both in I would’ve already done it and collected the million pounds they’re offering for you. Now take a bloody seat.”

   They couldn’t argue with that. Dan and Kyle took a seat across from the bartender, much like last night, and were each poured a glass of liquor.

   The bartender smiled as he raised his glass and downed it in one go, then watched as Dan followed suit. Kyle just stared at his, his sunglasses still hiding most of his face.

   “So, why don’t you tell me what London’s most famous fugitives are doing still in town? I would’ve gotten the hell out of here if I were you.”

   “Traveling is hard when you’re a wanted…when you’re being looked for,” Dan said haltingly, still not able to believe that most of the population thought of him as a criminal.

   The bartender nodded sagely, as if he understood their plight. “You’re right. But you aren’t doing a very good job at hiding.” He pointed to Kyle’s glasses and said, “Those don’t exactly work when you’re in Her Majesty’s cloudy kingdom.”

   Kyle sighed, and just as Dan was about to defend him, he took off the glasses and glowered at the bartender with faded amber irises. “Is this any better?”

   “Fuckin’ hell,” the bartender muttered as he leaned in closer, frowning at the spectacle that was Kyle’s eyes.

   Dan cleared his throat. “That’s a little more noticeable, yeah? Anyways, why haven’t you turned us in? You said it yourself, you could get a load of money if you just told Wild World where we are.”

   “Maybe I already did,” the bartender countered, and Dan felt himself tense. His hand instinctively went towards the gun tucked into his waistband, a gift he stole from the WWCOMMs headquarters after their narrow escape.

   Instead of reacting like Dan, though, Kyle just laughed mirthlessly. “Nice try. You wouldn’t have wasted the good whiskey on us.”

   The bartender smirked and said nothing.

   “Now tell us why we’re here,” Dan said, letting himself relax the slightest bit. His hand still hovered near the gun, but he didn’t feel the need to pull it out and make a scene.

   “Or at least your name,” Kyle added.

   “I’m Dick,” the bartender said after a pause. “And you’re Daniel Smith and Kyle Simmons, right?”

   They nodded. No point in hiding it now.

   “Good,” Dick said and grabbed the bottle of whiskey and poured himself and Dan another drink. “So, what exactly happened with your…?” He waved his hand towards Kyle’s face.

   “You should see the other guys,” Kyle said, then lapsed into an abridged version of the past few weeks that kept to the basics: Dan and Kyle working together, Kyle getting caught up with the wrong people, etc.

   Dick whistled lowly once Kyle finished his story. “So, they did that to you?” he asked, pointing at Kyle’s eyes. “And that to you?” He pointed to Dan’s bruises and his crooked nose.

   “Yeah,” Dan said.

   “Which is why we came here today,” Kyle said, sitting forward has he ignored the liquor Dan had so gratefully drank. “We need someone to help us figure this shit out, help us stop this.”

   “So, lemme get this straight,” Dick said. “You want me to join a two-man revolution against some place that nearly killed the lot of you, without a plan?”

   “Yes,” Dan and Kyle said in unison.

   Dick laughed. “At least you’re honest. So, we should think of a plan, yeah?”

   Kyle and Dan looked at each other, then back at Dick. A moment of silence passed, then Dick grabbed the bottle again and raised it to the two men.

   “Cheers, then, for this suicide mission.” With that, he poured another round of shots and they got to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i think there's going to be 8 chapters! some might be a little late, as i just started a full-time job that exhausts me, but i love it and this fic so hopefully everything works out!!
> 
> if you wanna chat/follow me on tumblr, i'm chaosplxnet on there!!


	4. in my right hand, there is the familiar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dan, kyle, and dick all try to come up with a game plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is a little late and short, i still hope you enjoy it!!

   Dick turned out to be a helpful ally as he was quite good with the technology that Dan and Kyle struggled with, which was anything outside their smartphones or the desktop computers they risked using at a nearby library. He taught them how to disable a camera, how to detect if there were hidden cameras, and gave his two pence about everything along the way.

   “Y’know, if Google and Apple and everything hadn’t numbed all of us to constant surveillance, maybe this wouldn’t have happened,” Dick mused one day as the men ate lunch in Dan and Kyle’s dingy room.

   Dan shrugged. “Some people are arseholes. Someone would have done it eventually.”

   Kyle said nothing. He still hadn’t warmed up to Dick, but he and Dan were at least getting along better. Dan let him go out places on his own, mostly to get food. Sometimes Kyle would leave for a half hour during the day just to stretch his legs, and eventually Dan got used to the comings and goings of him. He couldn’t deny that he still felt on edge, but he figured that if Wild World knew where they were, they wouldn’t constantly blast their images onscreen during the news. They were more likely still looking for them.

   Plus, Kyle’s eyes still were the faded amber that they had been when they had first met Dick, which seemed like a good sign. At the very least it meant Kyle wasn’t getting any worse, right?

   “Arseholes are people who cut queues. It takes a special person to want control the entirety of British media,” Dick pointed out.

   Dan nodded, conceding to the point, and got up to do the dishes while Dick looked at the poorly drawn map of Wild World’s headquarters that Dan and Kyle had drawn from memory.

   “How far do these tunnels go?” Dick asked.

   “I dunno,” Kyle said, standing up and stretching. “When I was being tortured and forced to kill people I didn’t really take in how many meters I was walking.”

   “Don’t,” Dan said warningly, setting the dishes down and turning to face Kyle.

   “Don’t what?” Kyle taunted then turned to Dick. “You think you can just waltz in here and take over our operation? After what we’ve been through?”

   Dick put his hands up as if to defend himself from Kyle’s harsh words. “It doesn’t seem like you had much of a plan before this, mate. I’m just trying to help.”

   “Maybe we don’t need your help,” Kyle snapped.

   “Hey!” Dan said, getting between the two men who had begun to square up. “Stop this, both of you.”

   “Why? He’ll probably just turn us in, just like Woody, just like everyone else!” Kyle cried, shoving past Dan and stepping towards Dick.

   Without thinking, Dan caught himself and put his arm out. This seemed to be the wrong move, as Kyle stepped back from Dick, then grabbed Dan by the collar of his shirt and pushed him against the wall. Dan struggled, trying to push the younger man off, but Kyle’s training remained mined into his muscles like an unforgettable memory. He used his weight to pin Dan there as they stood, nose to nose, mere centimeters apart.

   "I said, _stop_ ,” Dan said, his voice faint from the pressure Kyle was pressing on him.

   Kyle couldn’t hear him over the rushing in his ears. For a moment, it was like he was back in Wild World, forcing someone to submit to his will for the greater good. There was always a thrill that came with this, one that Kyle had never wanted to acknowledge when he got back to himself, but right then and there, he felt like he had never left Wild World, that he was back within the white walls and never-ending halls, working under Will’s supervision and not thinking, not caring about anything other than what he was told. 

   He released Dan and stumbled back, breathing heavily. He could almost feel the cold whiteness of Wild World on his body, the weight of the jumpsuit and the cold metal of the gun pressing into him. It was too much, too real, and Kyle fell to his knees, whiteness pushing against his vision.

   “Kyle?” asked Dan. “Kyle!”

   Kyle looked up to see the older man towering above him, with Dick standing some ways back with a furrowed brow.

   “’m sorry,” Kyle mumbled. It wasn’t enough, but it was all he could manage. The white that edged his vision slowly melted away, revealing the dull surroundings that he had come to call home. His breathing was no longer labored and heavy but returned to a normal pace, and the rushing sound in his head had cleared away.

   “Don’t be, I’m sorry,” Dan said, then glanced at Dick. “I’m sorry.”

   “No worries,” Dick said, offering a hand to the still-kneeling Kyle. “Happens all the time with my customers.”

   Incredibly, Kyle felt a smile tug at his lips. He grasped Dick’s hand and hauled himself up, stumbling a little as he stood straight. “Thanks.”

   Dick nodded, then shoved his hands into his pockets and said, “I, ah, should be going. You two should just relax for the night. Maybe something will come up. If not, I’ll be ‘round here at the same time tomorrow.”

   They both agreed and led Dick out the door, then Dan came back to stand near Kyle, although he noticed that the younger man kept his distance.

   “Are you sure you’re alright?” Dan asked, concern dripping from his voice.

   Kyle didn’t know how to reply. That had been the first breakdown in at least a few days; he thought he had gotten better. He had been too angry at Will, at himself, at the entirety of Wild World to be pulled back into its clutches. Now, all he wanted was to fall back into his bed and succumb to the blackness that was sleep.

   Instead of articulating all of that to Dan, Kyle simply nodded. “I’m fine. I just need sleep.”

   Dan frowned but only said, “Fine.” He helped guide Kyle to his bed, aide that he gladly accepted, and made sure to dim the lights down as Kyle rested his head on his pillow.

   “Gotta get that mood lighting,” Kyle said dryly, and was rewarded with a snort from Dan who couldn’t quite erase that night when they first met from his mind.

   Before going to bed, Dan reached under his pillow and took out his journal, writing down the jumble of emotions he felt on a blank page. Once he felt like he had expelled the worst of it, he set it down on his nightstand and laid back, letting his exhausted body lull him into a much-needed sleep.

***

   Kyle knew it was stupid, but he needed to walk. After tonight, after that stupid fucking flashback, he needed his space.

   Not that Kyle was completely opposed to shoving attractive men up onto walls; he just didn’t really care for the circumstances they were under.

   Quietly, Kyle pulled on his jacket and stepped out the door, making sure that Dan was still asleep with his pen in hand. With his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat, he wandered aimlessly, making sure to keep in close proximity to his temporary home. These walks never really solved anything, but they were enough to keep him sane when sanity was somewhat of a foreign concept, and that was all he needed.

   A figure hung around a lamp post ahead of him, and just as Kyle was about to cross the street to avoid it, he felt hands grab him from behind and a soft prick in his neck before he fell to the ground, his limbs no longer responding. He tried to twist to see his captor, but all he could register was the concrete pressing against his cheek before everything went dark.


	5. good grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the three rebels finally think of a plan. except it's not very good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about no update last week!! life has been Fucked Up but i'm hoping to be back on track

   The sound of the TV playing woke Dan up from a dream where he was being chased by the log lady, and he blearily opened his eyes to see Kyle frowning at the news channel.

   “Why’re you watching this rubbish?” Dan asked, his voice still gravely from sleep.

   “Because we’ve got to stay in the know,” the other man said without taking his eyes from the screen. “And there’s nothing else to do with you sleeping.”

   Dan mumbled a curse under his breath that he hoped Kyle couldn’t catch before pushing himself into a sitting position. “What’d you do last night?”

   “Just went for a walk,” Kyle said, finally turning to look at Dan.

   His eyes were still the same, maybe a little bit more amber than before. It was hard to tell with the distance, but Kyle looked better than last night. Sleep had done them both wonders.

   “Are you gonna keep staring at me or are you gonna get up?” Kyle teased.

   Dan felt himself blush and he ducked his head, getting out of bed quickly to try and hide his embarrassment. “How long have you been up?”

   “Not long,” Kyle said, turning his gaze back to the TV.

   Grunting in response, Dan went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, hoping that the lukewarm water would be enough to jolt him into wakefulness. Once he was finished, he came out to see Kyle still staring at the TV, although he had changed it to some comedy show that only premiered when there was nothing else on.

   “Did you eat yet?” Dan asked as he headed towards the kitchenette, pawing through what they had.

   “Nah, I was waiting for you.”

   And so the morning went, nothing out of the ordinary. Dan was pleasantly surprised, if he was being quite honest. He had been expecting Kyle to be fretting over his breakdown yesterday, or at least in a shite mood, but he seemed fine. Even when Dick came over and they talked about possible plans, Kyle remained docile and even smiled at Dick when he left, promising to be back later after he checked on his bar.

   “Alright, what’s going on with you?” Dan asked once it was just them in the flat.

   Kyle frowned. “What d’you mean?”

   “I dunno. You just seem…fine, I guess.”

   “Am I supposed to not be fine?” Kyle asked,

   Dan sighed in frustration. Of course, when he needed his words to be succinct and perfect, they were coming out all wrong. “No, I just figured after yesterday that…you know…”

   “What?” Kyle asked, coming to stand next to Dan. Almost uncomfortably close. “Am I supposed to be pissed and sad all the time?”

   Dan put his hands up as if to defend himself and said, “No! No, I just thought-”

   “What?”

   “You aren’t usually like this. I just want to make sure you’re healing okay,” Dan said finally, the words spilling out of him without regard for what they might mean.

   Kyle paused, took a second to ponder the words, then said, “What am I usually like?”

   “I dunno,” Dan said, throwing his hands up in the air. “You’re just different.”

   “Do you like different?” Kyle asked, and his voice took on a different tone that made Dan’s hands fall slack by his sides.

   The question hung in the air as Dan processed the shift in tone. “What?”

   “I asked if you like different,” Kyle said.

   It was then that Dan noticed the proximity between them. It wasn’t just the physical closeness, although the fact that Dan could count Kyle’s eyelashes was definitely a factor. It was the fact that they had hooked up at a party what felt like lifetimes ago, and now they were here, alone in a hotel room, a tension between them that hadn’t been there before simmering like water in a kettle.

   Dan found himself drawn Kyle’s amber eyes, the eyes that were slowly turning the right color, almost deepening, as if there was something else behind them…

   That was when Kyle stepped forward and Dan returned the favor, and their noses were a breath away and Dan could swear that Kyle could connect his freckles into constellations. For a moment, all that mattered was how close they were.

   Until that moment was broken by Kyle taking a step back, then another, breaking the hold the distance seemed the grip them in like a vise.

   “Erm, sorry, I should-” With that, Kyle turned and left the apartment, leaving Dan standing there contemplating what he had just done wrong.

***

   Kyle didn’t come back for another hour, which left Dan to re-greet Dick by himself, and the two men bounced ideas around until they were blue in the face, but neither could come up with a legitimate plan that had the semblance of working. A poorly-drawn map in front of them as they tried to see if there was a way to get in, get incriminating evidence of Wild World’s misdoings, and get out without being detected

   “You actually trust him to come and go as he pleases?” Dick asked as they took a well-deserved break.

   Dan shrugged. “I dunno, I guess? I can’t keep him locked in here.”

   “True,” Dick murmered, then turned his attention back to the map. “Maybe…what if…nah, never mind.”

   “What?”

“You’re not going to like this,” Dick said as he took in a deep breath as if bracing himself, “but what if we use one of you as bait?”

   Of course, Kyle chose that exact moment to come in and he froze in the doorway. The next words he said seemed to be taken right out of Dan’s mouth: “What do you mean, use one of us as bait?”

   “It’s not a finalized plan, Kyle,” Dan said hurriedly, not wanting the younger man to make any rash decisions based on what he had heard.

   Kyle slammed the door shut and sighed. “So, what you’re telling me is that, in the few weeks we’ve had to come up with a plan, all we can think of is going back into that hellscape?”

   “Unless you have any better ideas,” Dick said. A minute passed as each man thought over the plans they had tossed aside, all of the musings and what-ifs that never managed to form into rational, actual plans of action. In a weird sense, the idea of infiltrating Wild World always required one of them to go back, but now that it was said out loud, they had to deal with the consequences of it being a very real idea.

   “Fair,” Kyle said, dropping himself onto his bed. Dan watched him carefully, afraid that he might snap out of whatever calm trance he seemed to be in at any moment, but the ease he portrayed seemed to be staying for now.

   “So, are we doing this, then? One of us is actually going back into Wild World?” Dan asked.

   Kyle shrugged. “Like he said, we don’t have any better ideas. So, rock paper scissors?”

   With a snort, Dan shook his head. “No. I volunteer to go in there.” In a way, Dan felt like he had to. He was the one that first got entrapped in WWCOMMS, and he was the one that got Kyle entangled in their net. Plus, he was the one that had killed Charlie, and there was nothing more he wanted to do than put an end to all the horrors that he felt responsible for.

   “Well, that settles that,” Dick said, “but we still have the issue of what exactly you’re going to be doing in there, and how we’re going to get you out.”

   “Simple. You won’t.”


	6. the devil's got my arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the three men try to figure out Dan's insane plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehe i'm back!!  
> \  
> more a/n at the end of the chapter. as always, enjoy, and if you could, leave a kudos or a comment!

   “No,” Dick snapped, glaring at Dan, as if him having the audacity to suggest that he should go back to WWCOMMs without an escape route was the worst idea they’ve had yet.

   Honestly, it probably was.

   “No, then what?” Dan asked, “What do we do? Sit here and wait for them to find us?”

   As if on cue, Dick shifted on his feet uneasily and Kyle glanced around the tiny room as if there were spies hidden within the peeling wallpaper. Dan himself felt a hint of unease, the paranoia that he had gotten used to over the weeks.

   “We can’t just let you go in there by yourself, that’s suicide,” Dick said, as if trying to convince Dan that sealing his own doom was a bad idea.

   Dan shrugged. “So is just sitting here. Let me go. I’ll get in, I’ll take down Will, and from there we can get the evidence needed to shut down Wild World for good.”

   “What kind of evidence?” Dick had begun pacing the room, picking up Dan’s nervous habit. It must’ve been the close corners, or the fact that the other two men in the room were the only people he could trust. “And how could you take down Will? He’s probably going to force you to watch those stupid videos again, and then where will we be?”

   “Safe,” Dan said from across the room.

   “Excuse me?”

   “You’ll be safe,” he said more clearly. “They just want me back. Once they have me, they’ll stop.”

   Dick paused his pacing and turned to face Dan, his hand rubbing at the beard growing on his chin. “How do you know? How do you think any of this will work?”

   “It’s the best chance we’ve got. Will likes to play with us before he does anything. I’ll keep him distracted long enough to take him out.”

   “Sure, because you’re totally in the best shape right now,” Dick said with a roll of his eyes.

   “We should let him do it,” Kyle said softly. “Dan’s right. This is the only plan we have. Once Wild World gets their star shooter back,” Dan shot Kyle a murderous look, “they’ll think they won. And then we’ll be free to get out of here.”

   “And leave you behind?”

   Dan shrugged. “I can’t handle the guilt of getting you guys into this.”

   “I got into this of my own accord,” Kyle pointed out.

   “As did I,” Dick said.

   With his hands in his hair, Dan glared at the two men and said, “You know what I mean.”

   “So, you go into Wild World, and, what? Try and shoot Will before he turns you back into whatever you were before?” Dick asked.

   “I guess.”

   Dick let out a low breath. “This is a bad idea. This is a very, _very_ bad idea.”

   “It’s the only one we’ve got,” Dan said, straightening his back. “Go get some sleep. We’ll figure out the specifics tomorrow, and by the end of the week Wild World will be as good as gone.”

   At least, he hoped it would be.

***

   Kyle was oddly silent that night after Dick left, flipping through the channels on the TV and zoning out during the commercials breaks. After a few hours of this, with Dan intermittently pacing and writing in his notebook, he finally turned to Kyle and asked, “So, you’re fine with me going back to Wild World?”

   Finally, Kyle’s gaze strayed from the screen and landed on Dan’s face. “It’s the only plan we’ve got, yeah?”

   “Yeah. I just…”

   “What?”

   “Thought you’d be against it,” Dan said in a rush, settling down onto his bed. Kyle had always been the one against going back to Wild World, the one who was adamant that whatever they did, there had to be no risk greater than the reward. And now, Dan was going to offer himself up on a platter and Kyle was, what, fine with it? Something wasn’t sitting right with Dan, something that made him feel uneasy even sharing the same space with Kyle.

   “Should I be arguing with you?” Kyle asked.

   Dan let out an annoyed sigh. “No, I just-”

   “You just want me to say no so you can feel better about it yourself,” Kyle said. The words hurt Dan, but they sounded so matter-of-fact, and Dan didn’t know if it was the honestly or the fact that he truly needed reassurance that hurt more.

   Kyle continued, “And then once you feel better about being the martyr, you’ll realize it was all for nothing. We’re here for you, wherever you are.”

   Dan shot up from where he was laying in his bed. “What do you mean?” Fear edged into his voice, icy cold and shocking.

   “I mean,” Kyle’s voice dropped into a monotone. “We’re here for you. Wherever you are.”

   The taller man lunged forward, and Dan could do no more than hold his hands up ineffectually as Kyle pinned him against the bed.

   “Really?” Dan asked. “This is how you get me into bed a second time?” His hand crept slowly under his pillow, where something metal glinted. If he could only reach for it without Kyle noticing…

   Kyle snorted. “As if. I’m only following orders.”

   “And whose are those?” Another desperate bid for time, but enough for Dan’s hand to close around the gun’s handle.

   “You’ve always known,” Kyle said, then grabbed Dan around the neck and held tight.

   Dan was surprised at how fast his body reacted to losing air; after only a few moments he felt his lungs tighten and he fought against taking in an empty breath. Without waiting, he slammed the gun’s handle into Kyle temple and, once Kyle slumped to the floor, stumbled to his feet, rubbing his neck.

   "Motherfucker,” he mumbled, toeing Kyle’s unconscious body as he tried to figure out what to do.

***

   “So, he went full Wild World?” Dick asked. Thirty minutes later, Kyle was tied up to one of the rickety dining chairs they had, and Dick paced the floor. Both men were waiting for Kyle to wake up, and neither had any idea what was happening.

   “Yeah. Full-on tried to kill me. Again,” Dan said. He really had to stop getting almost killed by his one and only friend. Perhaps not one and only, because Dick had come running after Dan had called after the attack, but still. They were the only two known living rebels against Wild World. That was a bond that couldn’t be broken, no matter how many attempts on his life Dan had to dismantle. Although at this point, it seemed that Wild World wanted Dan dead almost as he wanted himself dead.

   It wasn’t like he was suicidal or anything. At this point, he was running on 90% spite and 10% exhaustion, and to give up when they were so close to finally toppling WWCOMMs…well, it was enough to keep Dan going, at least for the meantime.

   “Look, what do we do?” Dan asked.

   “Good question,” Dick said. When Dan gave him a look, Dick sighed. “Well, what does he want?”

   “Either to kill me,” Dan said, rubbing a hand over the bruises forming on his neck. He felt like a quilt of black and blue and bruised bones at this point. “Or to take me back to Wild World.”

   “Neither is preferable, I take it?” Dick asked.

   “Not in the slightest.”

   “Well, I have a plan, but it’s a bad one.”

   “Lay it on me,” Dan said, sitting on the edge of his bed and fiddling with his leather notebook.

   “You give Kyle what he wants, and you take Wild World down from the inside,” Dick said through clenched teeth, as if it pained him to say.

   “And what if I get…?” Dan trailed off, seeing the hesitation in Dick’s eyes. It was easy to joke around when it was the three of them, but now that Kyle had reverted back to his old ways…

   “Fine,” Dan said, standing up. “I’ll do it. On one condition.”

   “Which is?”

   “I go in alone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've decided to finally finish this beast, with the second-to-last chapter coming out today and the finale coming next week ! it's gonna be a doozy (i hope the finale will be double the length of a usual chapter) and i hope ya'll are ready ! because i'm not for this to be over.  
> long live wild world, and let's look forward to doom days, eh?  
> also who else LOVES ophp4???? bc i'm OBSESSED


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